HOW supremely ironic that in the same week the downgrading of Poole Hospital is announced, we should be celebrating the staff and volunteers who go beyond the call of duty at that establishment.

At the same time, the call has gone out from the ambulance service for volunteers to train as community first responders, often involving the use of defibrillators in saving lives.

But then what?

Having hopefully resuscitated the patient, they will then need immediate A&E access and treatment to sustain life.

With the proposed changes at both Poole and Dorchester A&E departments, this will become, in effect, a postcode lottery. What a stupid and near-sighted decision.

The county of Dorset, with its geographical diversity, warrants the three round-the-clock A&E departments that it currently has at Bournemouth, Dorchester and Poole hospitals.

All of these departments can, at times, be extremely busy with patients from all over, both locals and visitors, requiring urgent medical attention.

To replace these centres of excellence with one mega centre at Royal Bournemouth Hospital, with its associated problems of access and parking, is nothing but madness.

I urge all concerned Echo readers to visit the YouGov online petition at petition.parliament.uk/petitions/129792 in an attempt to stop this lunacy.

It is your NHS and, make no mistake, if you lose your A&E status at any one of these hospitals, the knock-on effect to the other departments within those establishments will be catastrophic.

MAJOR W MARTIN (rtd)

North Road, Poole